Is this a good deal on R12 ?

c2 rower · 03-22-2006, 05:32 AM

A guy I work with will sell me a 20 lb tank of R12 refridgerant for $300. I'm thinking if I wanted to keep my original r12 system going it might be handy, but I don't know what the market is like now.

RickM · RickM's Garage

Is it virgin R12? If so it's an OK deal.

You can buy 40# on Ebay during off-season or between $350-$400 shipped, sometimes a little less. Just have to look out for the deals.

Also, you'll need a certificate to purchase. If you don't have one you can take a $15 (IIRC) internet test to acquire.

cashflyer · 03-22-2006, 06:15 AM

For a while the R-12 market went incredibly high... I was paying over $1k for a 20# tank. But I have heard that the market came back down as fewer R-12 dependent systems are in service now.

We no longer do refrigeration here in my shop, so it's been a couple years since I really had to hunt down and price the stuff. YMMV

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

That's a great deal, I have two 20's left one only half full and I paid about $250 a piece for them two years ago from Napa, so your getting a great deal. I'm still paying about $25lb from Napa when I do recharges on other peoples cars.

defcon65 · 03-22-2006, 12:05 PM

There is so much black-market R12 out there, I'd check truck stops and such and see if you can get it on the cheap. Years ago (mid 90's) I had a guy come into our shop selling the stuff out of the back of his truck. He'd recharge AC systems in parking lots for $50-$100 a pop, depending on how much R12 it used and how hot it was that day. He said he bought it in 20lb tanks off a ship in Long Beach, it was Russian in origin.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

I have seen that as well, I had an Ebay seller that demanded I fax him a copy of my license, which I did not mind doing, and then another that never asked me at all.